What is a generic essay question I can build a thematic framework for, for module A?
One that I can easily adapt in exams.
Hey, violet123!
I would discourage using an essay question to build a thematic framework for Module A only because the questions might become more specific or geared towards certain values. For example, take a look at these sample questions.
Both speakers must gain something out of a conversation for it to be a memorable one. How has the relationship between two texts enhanced your understanding of their key values? Refer to your prescribed texts in Module A: Textual Conversations.
Appropriation is not about borrowing, but about recontextualising. To what extent has an understanding of context assisted you in viewing the resonances and dissonances between a pair of texts? Refer to the prescribed texts you studied in Module A: Textual Conversations.
“No poet, no artist of any art, has his complete meaning alone. His significance, his appreciation is the appreciation of his relation to the dead poets and artists. You cannot value him alone; you must set him, for contrast and comparison, among the dead.” (T.S Eliot, 1920) Discuss how a comparative study in Module A: Textual Conversations has enabled you to understand the individual and combined values of your texts.
As you can see, the questions all cover similarly bases from the module but have different specifications for you to provide a judgement on.
My suggestion would be to construct your notes and to examine Module A through the lenses of
context, comparative study/intertextuality and key ideas. For context, you would look at how the texts have been informed by the prevailing personal, political, cultural and social perspectives, attitudes and beliefs of their respective times. Understanding the comparative study and key ideas requires you to look at how the texts may be different but how they explore unchanging values through intertextual connections. I would highly recommend writing notes that pair up quotes and analysing them to extract their individual and combined meanings. I would then suggest the impact of context on these representations and highlight how we can come to appreciate the texts this way. You could also introduce purpose and form to provide more depth for your analysis and suggest the role of the composer and dominating literary conventions in shaping these perspectives. Hope that helps!
Angelina